Did Péter Márki-Zay, the Hungarian opposition's joint candidate for prime minister in 2022, say Hungarians 'need to feel' the soaring energy prices that hit Europe after Russia attacked Ukraine? No, that's not true: The claim is based on an out-of-date statement Márki-Zay made in October 2021, more than four months before the fallout from Russia's invasion sent European energy prices…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say the Romanian region of Transylvania should be annexed to Hungary? No, that's not true: The claim distorts a statement Putin made in a 2016 interview with Bloomberg News. Putin actually disparaged the idea of redrawing Europe's borders and did not even mention Transylvania. The claim appeared in a Hungarian-language video (archived here) posted on…

Minden idők csúcsát, 12 százalékot érte el a magyar munkanélküliség 2010-ben, a Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP) kormányzása alatt? Nem, ez nem igaz: 1989 óta, amikor a kommunizmus összeomlott az egyetemes foglalkoztatás alkotmányos garanciájával együtt, Magyarországon 1993-ban volt a legmagasabb a munkanélküliségi ráta, amikor az MSZP ellenzékben volt. Ráadásul a munkanélküliség nem érte el a 12 százalékot 2010-ben. Az állítás egy…

Kisebbségben vannak a magyar dolgozók a vendégmunkásokhoz képest a hazai munkaerőpiacon? Nem, ez nem igaz: Bár 2022-ben jelentősen nőtt a Magyarországon dolgozó külföldi állampolgárok száma, a hivatalos statisztikák szerint a magyar munkavállalók száma 50:1 arányban meghaladja a külföldi társaikét. Az állítás egy videóban jelent meg (archiválva itt) a TikTokon 2023. szeptember 10-én. Egy híradó részletét látjuk, melyben elhangzik, hogy Orbán…

Magyarország tényleg egy olyan vállalat, amelyet az amerikai Tények Nyilatkozata megszüntetett? Nem, ez nem igaz: Magyarország még mindig egy állam, a hivatkozott dokumentumok pedig egy amerikai gyökerű összeesküvés elmélet elemei. Az elmélet szerint Magyarország egy már megszűnt cég, nem egy állam, ami többek között azt jelenti, hogy az embereknek nem kell betartaniuk a törvényeket, nem kell együttműködniük a hatóságokkal és…

Did Ferenc Donáth, grandfather of Hungarian opposition politician Anna Donáth, help the Soviet Union crush Hungarian freedom fighters in the 1956 Revolution? No, that's not true: Ferenc Donáth was a supporter of the 1956 Revolution who spent years in prison for his efforts to liberate Hungary from Soviet occupation. The claim appeared in a Hungarian-language video (archived here) on a…

Did female members of Hungary's opposition wear T-shirts saying "I do not have sex with Fideszers," referring to members of the governing Fidesz party? No, that's not true: The image of this had been doctored. The still photo (archived here) appeared on TikTok on August 12, 2023. It showed opposition politicians Bernadett Szél, Tímea Szabó, Zita Gurmai, Anett Bősz and…

Does a list of indispensable government employees mean the state plans to fire those not on the list and give their jobs to migrants? No, that's not true: According to news reports, the government is collecting data on the public sector labor force in order to estimate the minimum capacity needed to run the state, but there are no plans…

Az új személyi igazolványok egy rejtélyes terv miatt legkésőbb 2030-ban lejárnak? Nem, ez nem igaz: a magyar személyi igazolványok érvényességi ideje 2016 óta hat év, ezért nem volt senkinek 2030 után lejáró igazolványa 2023-ban. Az állítás egy TikTok videóban jelent meg (archiválva itt) 2023. augusztus 2-án a következő felirattal: Akik mostanában újítottak meg személyi igazolványt azok nézzék már meg legyenek…

Is organ trade flourishing in Ukraine as organs of fallen soldiers are sold? No, that's not true: The claim is spread by Russian sources with no evidence. Moreover, organ transplant surgeries are too complicated to be done on a battlefield. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) published by a Hungarian newspaper, Magyar Hírlap, on August 12,…

Do all coronaviruses cause symptoms that are no more dangerous than "the sniffles?" No, that's not true: The claim is based on a medical text published in 2003 before the deadlier strains of coronavirus were fully known to medical science. The COVID-19 coronavirus is responsible for one of the most lethal pandemics in living history. The claim appeared in a…

Did international sports associations ban Russian athletes from their events as part of an ethnic-hate campaign, the likes of which have not been seen "since the Holocaust?" No, that's not true: Russians have been forbidden to compete in international sports events as punishment for a doping scandal and for their government's decision to invade Ukraine in 2022. The ban is…

Is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán plotting to abolish private ownership in the countryside by 2030, in cahoots with World Economic Forum (WEF) Chairman Klaus Schwab? No, that's not true: The claim distorts a statement Orbán made in a 2022 speech, as well as a prediction that a Danish politician -- not Schwab -- made in a WEF social-media video…

Are airplanes spraying toxic streams known as "chemtrails" on people as part of a "genocidal plot"? No, that's not true: Scientists who investigated this claim turned up no evidence that chemtrails exist. The social media post making the claim attempts to prove it with photos that purportedly show aircraft carrying huge barrels of noxious compounds - but these are actually…

Did George and Alex Soros decide to fire the co-editor in chief of Telex.hu, Veronika Munk? No, that's not true: Alex or George Soros are not owners of Telex.hu's company and there is no evidence that they have decision-making power or any connection to the newspaper. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published by David Filep aka "A…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lay flowers at the grave of Stepan Bandera, Ukraine's "Nazi dictator" during World War II? No, that's not true: The photo in this claim is a doctored image of Zelenskyy visiting the grave of his grandfather. Moreover, Bandera was never Ukraine's dictator, and his headstone at a cemetery in Munich, Germany, does not resemble the…

Was a rehabilitation center for children affected by muscular atrophy turned into a hotel for migrant workers, in Agárd, on Lake Velence, in Hungary? No, that's not true: The rehabilitation center is still operational while the connected Sport Hotel, a barrier-free facility nearby, suspended its services and reportedly rented its rooms to workers of a nearby factory. The claim appeared…

Igaz-e, hogy gróf Apponyi Albert, az arisztokrata, aki Magyarország küldöttségét vezette az országot feldaraboló párizsi békekonferencián az I. világháború után, fenyegetően közölte a győztes antant hatalmakkal, hogy Magyarország részt vesz majd a temetésükön? Nem, ez nem igaz: történészek szerint nincs adat arról, hogy Apponyi ilyen kijelentést tett volna. A kulcsszavas keresésekből kiderül, hogy a tévesen Apponyinak tulajdonított idézet 2014 körül…

Was Hungarian television star István Vágó killed by an adverse reaction to Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine? No, there is no evidence to support this claim: Vágó's widow told Hungarian media that he died from an aortic rupture. While doctors say mRNA jabs such as Pfizer's may be linked to cardiac complications in rare cases, there is no proof that Vágó's condition…

Does the World Health Organization's (WHO) draft accord on pandemic preparedness include an obligation for governments to disclose the names of people who question WHO pandemic policy? No, that's not true: The text contains no such language. In fact, it guarantees that personal data will be protected in any information exchanges that take place under the proposed accord. The claim…